Now for something slightly different- For Father's Day

The process of acquiring images for this blog requires purchasing many lots of slides. Many times the collections not only include Disneyland and other amusement park images, but also pictures that touch on my other interests. One of these interests is the history of Hot Rods and of the whole Hot Rod culture. This interest is due directly to my Dad from when I was growing up. In the late 1950s, my Dad used to build and run hot rods. During the same time an up and coming hot rodder, customizer and artist, Ed Big Daddy Roth was selling shirts, decals and other items. Growing up, I would look through my Dad's collection of Hot Rod and Rod and Custom magazines, as well as Hot Rod Cartoons and Drag Cartoons from the time period. I was always intrigued by Ed's artwork and his advertisements in the magazines. I was also well aware of Rat Fink and enjoyed the monster aspects of him. Imagine my surprise when my brother found this group of slides showing Ed painting shirts on Catalina Island in 1962. First off is Roth airbrushing a shirt.

This lucky kid is wearing a print of Roth's 1960 creation, the Beatnik Bandit.

Finally, a freehand design of a drag boat.

Luckily, I have been able to find one sweatshirt by Roth as well as my Dad found one of Roth's Rat Fink Hillbilly crash helmets. We also have collected promotional pictures, postcards and programs where Roth set up as a vendor. Now if I could only find a Roth T-shirt with a freehand design!